Empire's Foundation

Character Generation

There are several times in a player’s career that new characters must be created. Initially, there is the first character, and then henchmen, and then any replacements for characters who have died. Fortunately, the generation of a new character is relatively simple. Each new character will be generated at 1st level.

For your convenience, there is a character sheet that I have built which will automagically calculate several factors including attacks, damage, AC, DR, and skills based on a few drop-down boxes. Save a copy of the sheet and then share with the DM. Please note, blue shaded boxes contain formulas, so be careful not to accidentally delete or overwrite them. Orange shaded boxes contain drop-down lists that options may be chosen from. The main character tab is ready to go, but I am always working on upgrading it, so remember to come back here and get the latest version for your new henchmen!

Step Three

Submit the above information to the DM. The ability scores you assigned will provide a basis for a randomly-generated childhood (providing minor boons and challenges), age, starting gold, family, and appearance. This information will then be given you. Please note, higher ability scores in a certain area will make boons more likely, while poor scores will make challenges more likely.

Step Four

Once you have all of your “background” information, you fill out the rest of your character sheet. Fill out HP (full class hit dice at first level, plus Con modifier and DM-rolled Mass HP), select weapon and skill proficiencies, select feats, figure saves and attack bonuses, and then…

Step Five

Purchase equipment. You will be provided with the nearest market for purchasing equipment. Take a look around and through it. Be sure to get boots, clothes, a bag of some sort, and anything else that catches your fancy on the list, as long as you have the gold to spend. A few pounds of foodstuffs would not be a bad idea either. The prices on the list are determined based on a mercantile system, not modern supply-and-demand. Material has to be paid for, shipped, worked, assembled, and worked again. All of this adds cost. If you don’t want to pay the cost to make a thing and get it here, someone else will. If the making of a thing involves a lot of material from far away, it will cost a LOT. Even if no one wants it right now. It took money to get it here, and that amount of money will be asked to take it away. Anyway… after you have purchased your equipment, pick a name and meet the rest of the group!

PS: Step Six

If you haven’t already, read this post. Understand that this game, this realm, this world, is unscripted. It is a sandbox, an environment, a workshop. It functions in many ways exactly as the real world does. Make no waves, and get mostly ignored. Try to make something of yourself, and people will notice, and react. Your actions in the game will have consequences in the game. Success or failure in your endeavors will not be automatic. If you wish to become the Pope, you may, if you are clever and canny and lucky enough. If you wish to become the King of a country or Emperor of the world, you might. But there are many, many others who would have the same things you would. The only limitation on your actions that is imposed is that you work with your group, the Party. As this is a game with many players, you must each work together to accomplish individual goals, or group goals. Find common ground and strike out together. This is a game, after all. You can at any time invent new motivations for your character, based on logic or nothing. Play with the team. It’s a hard world, you won’t win in it alone.